Railroad-crossing signal



Nov. 12, 1929. D. w. LUCAS 1,735,647 RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed June20. 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 12, 1929. D. w. LUCAS RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed June 20. 19293 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR.

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Vcmzw ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 12, 1929. D. w. LUCAS RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Jung 20, 19285 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. '0 Zl/Luas,

BY 751 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 12, 1929 mata- DANIEL w. LUCAS, orATLANTA, GEORGIA RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL Application filed June 20,

This invention'relates to railway crossing signals and has specialreference to a railway crossing signal mechanically thrown into s1naling and hidden positions and mechanically operated to produce anaudible signal.

One important object of the invention is to improve the generalconstruction of devices of this character. v

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improvedactuating means for such mechanical signals.

A third important object of the invention is to arrange such means sothat the means will only be actuated by a train going in one direction,the arrangement being of novel character.

A fourth important object of the invention 2 is to provide a novelsignal adapted to be adjusted or set in the roadway adjacent the pointwhere it crosses the railroad.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent,- the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts here- 2 inafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed. i

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and: z I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view ofa railway crossing equipped with the invention. Figure 2 is an enlargedView showing the construction on one side of the crossing, thisconstruction also being suitable for one of the tracks of a double trackrailroad. Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view'of the actuating mechanism.I Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4; of

Figure 3. v I y g Figure ,5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3. I

Figure -6 is a section onthe line 66 of Figure 3. i q

. Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of a cer tain double lever usedherewith.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a section through the signaling 1928. Serial no. 286928.-

box, the lid being shown closed in full lines and opened in dottedlines.

Figure 10 is a front view of the signaling device with the lid opened.

In carrying out this invention there is secured near one of the rails 10ofa railroad track 11 a certain number of track operated signalactuating'devices which are spaced along" the rail. In a single trackrailroad these devices are arranged on both sides of the cross-' ing 12where the railroadcrosses the ordinary road or street 13. In a doubletrack rail-road the devices on one side of the crossing maybe dispensedwith. Each of these devices is alike in character but exercises aseparate function on the signal.- For convenience the devices will becalled in general A, B and 6.

Each ofthe signaling devices A, Band C includes a base plate 1A whereonis mounted a slide 15 which is held between two guide bars 7 0 16. Therear of this slide is turned upwardly as at 17 and through this rearthere extends a pin 18 which is pivoted in a fork 19 fixed in the base14 remote from the rail 10. A spring 20 surounds the pin'between theupturned end 17, and a fixedcollar 21 so that the slide is always urgedtoward the rail Mounted'in'the end of the slide. adj acentthe rail is astem- 22 whichE-has ahead fitting in a cylinder 23 depending fromthehead 24 of an actuating lever 25. Between the stem and a the head 24 is'a'coiled spring 26' which thus holds the head 24 raised slightly abovethe; 1 rail as shown in Figure 4 so that as a train passes along thehead 24c'will be engaged and depressed by the wheels of the passingtrain T so long as the head lies close to the rail 10.

It is to be observed that there is sufficient I play and yielding of theparts to permit'op-, eration of the head as the trainpasses. The.

lever 25 has its fulcrum end in the form of a sleeve 2? whichis'carried, on a shaft 28 extending at right angles to the rail 10. Aspring 29surrou'nds the shaft 28 and bears at one end against a collar30 fixed on the shaft 1 and at its other end againstthe sleeve'27 sothat the latter is urged toward the rail 10; A second sleeve 31 havingclutch connection with the, first sleeve is also mounted on the shaft 28and frointhe seeond sleeve-ice projects a rock arm 32., Positionedbetween 1 the rail head .and the head 24 is a cam or wedge bar 33 whichhas one end resting against the rail head while its other end is heldoutwardly by a spring 34 so that it bears against a stop pin 35projecting upwardly from the base. Under these conditions when the trainmovesin the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 or toward the crossingthe head 24 will be engaged and depressed and the rock arm 32 will berocked. On the" contrary with the train moving away from the crossingthe flanges of the wheels will press between the bar 33 and rail headand push the head 24 and slide 15 away from the rail and at the so thatwhen the latch 38 is pulled the spring will throw the lid up tosignaling position, the lid being suitably painted to attract attention.From the operating device A leads a .cord or wire 41 which passes overidler pulleys 42 and is branched to provide branches 43 which areconnected to the pull latches 38 of the two signals. Similarly, from thelever 32 of the device B a branch wire or cord '44 leads over idlerpulleys into the box and there passesunder a pulley 45 and is connectedwith the spring hammer 39. From the deviceG a cord or wire 46 leads to atoggle 47 which connects the short arms 48 of a pair of levers or tongspivoted intermediate their ends to a post 49 and having long arms 50connected by cords 51 to the box lids 3'7, each cord passing under. ,apulley 52 in the box or casing; A spring 53 normally holds the shortarms ,48 apart.

In operation thepapproaching train first engages the actuatingdevice Awhich causes V I the latches to become released whereupon the 1 Figure9. As the train wheels reachthe d6,

box oricas'ing lids forming the signals are raised'to' the dotted, lineposition shown in vice.B each wheel passing over the head 24 i of thatdevice depresses the head and effects pulling of the hammer 40awayfrom'the box lid and the release of the headcauses spring hammer 39 tofly back and strike, the lid which, being preferably of metal, makes aloud clat-i tering noise andefli'ectually gives an audible signal. Uponthe train reaching the device C, which may be either between thecrossing and the device B or on the opposite side of the crossing. fro-mB, thehead 24' of that de- 'vice'will be depressed thus actuating'thetoggle by pulling on the cord 46 and thereby actuating the lever ortongs to pull on the cords 51 and close the box lid so that the latchesmay hold it closed.

It is to be understood that the devices A, B and C will be placed farenough apart and far enough from the crossing to ensure their properworking and no attempt is here made to show the exact relation of theseparts as the distances will depend onlocal conditions.

There has thus beenprovided a simple and efficient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein shown and described, but it is, desired to include allsuch as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is: V

1. In a railway crossing signal, a signal operating device including alever having a head positioned adjacent a track rail, a

cylinder dependingfrom said head, a'stem' projecting downwardly fromsaid cylinder, a spring in said cylinder resting on the stem and urgingthehead upwardly, a slide carry-v ing said stem and movable toward andfrom the rail, a signal, and an operative connection between the signaland lever.

2. In a railway crossing signal, a signal operating device including alever having a head positioned adjacent a track rail,'a cylinderdepending from said head, a stem projecting downwardly from saidcylinder, a spring in said cylinder resting on the stem and urging thehead upwardly, a slide carry ing said'stem and movable toward and fromthe rail, a signal, a fixed shaft at right angles to said rail, a sleevehaving said lever attached thereto and revoluble on said shaft, a

second sleeve 011 said shaft having releasable clutch connection withthe first sleeve, a spring normally urging the slide toward the rail andthe first sleeve into clutching engagement with the second sleeve, traincontrolled means for moving the slide away from the rail and the firstsleeve out of clutching Yengagement with the second sleeve, and anoperative connection between the second sleeve and signal; v

3. In a railway crossing signal, asignal operating device including alever having a head positioned adjacent a track rail, a cylinderdepending from said head, a stem projectingdownwardly from saidcylinder, a spring in said cylinder resting on the .stem

and urgingtheheetd upwardly, a slide car-' rying said stem andmovabletoward and from the rail, a signal, a fixed shaft atright angles to saidrail, a sleeve having said 1e ver attached thereto and revoluble'on saidshaft, a second sleeve on said shaft having releasable clutch connectionwith the first sleeve, a spring normally urging the slide toward therail and the first sleeve into clutching engagement with the secondsleeve, train controlled means for moving the slide away from the railand the first sleeve out of clutching engagement with the secondsleeve,v a rock arm projecting from the second sleeve, and a tensionconnection between the rock arm and said signal.

4. In a railway crossing signal, a signal operating device including alever having a head positioned adjacent a track rail, a cylinderdepending from said head, a stem projecting downwardly from saidcylinder, a spring in said cylinder resting on the stem and urging thehead upwardly, a slide carrying said stem and movable toward and fromthe rail, a signal, a fixed shaft at right angles to said rail, a sleevehaving said lever attached thereto and revoluble on said shaft, a secondsleeve on said shaft having releasable clutch connection with the firstsleeve, a spring normally urging the slide toward the rail and the firstsleeve into clutching engagement with the second sleeve, traincontrolled means for moving the slide away from the rail and the firstsleeve out of clutching engagement with the second sleeve, said meansincluding a bar arranged angularly with respect to the rail in ahorizontal plane and having the end remote from the rail directed towardthe crossing and spring supported to move toward the rail, the remainingend of said bar being in engagement with the signal operating device,and an operative connection between the second sleeve and sig-' nal. r

5. In a railway crossing signal, a signal operating device including alever having a head positioned adjacent a track rail, a cylinderdepending from said head, a stem proa ject-ing downwardly from saidcylinder, a spring in said cylinder resting on the stem and urging thehead upwardly, a slide carrying said stem and movable toward and fromthe rail, a signal, a fixed shaft at right angles to said rail, a sleevehaving said lever attached thereto and revoluble on said shaft, a secondsleeve on said shaft having releasable clutch connection with the firstsleeve, a spring normally urging the slide toward the rail and the firstsleeve into clutching engagement with the second sleeve, traincontrolled means for moving the slide away from the rail and the firstsleeve out of clutching engagement with the second sleeve, said meansincluding a bar arranged angularly with respect to the rail in ahorizontal plane and having the end remote from the rail directed towardthe crossing and spring supported to move toward the rail, the remainingend of said bar being in engagement with the signal operating device,

consisting of a casing a rock arm projecting from the second sleeve,

and a tension connection between the rock arm and said signal. 7

6. In a railway crossing signal, a signal consisting of ar'casing havinga hinged lid, signal displaying spring means urging said casing to openposition, a latch holding said casing closed, aplurality of trainoperated actuating devices, an operative connection between one of saiddevices and the latch and arranged to pull the latch and free the lidfor rising to display the signal, and an operative connection betweenthe other device and the lid and arranged to close the lid upon passageof a train over the second devlce.

7. In a railway crossing signal, a signal having a hinged lid, signaldisplaying spring means urging said casing to open position, a latchholding said casing closed, a plurality of train operated actuatingdevices, an operative connection between one of said devices and thelatch and arranged to pull the latch and free thevlid for rising todisplay the signal, an operative connection between the other device andthe lid and arranged to close the lid upon passage of a train overthethird device, a hammer on said spring bearing on said lid, a secondtrain operated actuating device, and an operative connection betweensaid second device and said spring to vibrate the spring and causehammering on the lid to produce an audible signal. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DANIEL W. LUCAS.

